The Los Angeles Chargers are now on the verge of having a new power structure in place as the downtrodden organization moves forward.
With Los Angeles set to officially name Jim Harbaugh as its next head coach, reports are surfacing that the team has made a decision at the all-important general manager position.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Chargers are working to hire current Baltimore Ravens director of player personnel Joe Hortiz.
He had been seen as one of the finalists for the opening to replace the fired Tom Telesco in the front office role. Hortiz, 48, will now make his way to Los Angeles after spending more than a quarter century in the Ravens’ organization while working directly with John Harbaugh.
Obviously, Baltimore’s head coach having a relationship with Hortiz played a role in the decision-making process. But the Chargers get someone with a ton of experience working within the confines of one of the best-run organizations in professional sports.
New Los Angeles Chargers GM: Who Is Joe Hortiz?
A graduate of Auburn, Hortiz first landed with the Ravens as personal assistant from 1998-2000. He was promoted to pro scout in 2001 before landing a gig as an area scout for Baltimore in 2003. Hortiz was then promoted to national scout in 2006 before spending a decade as the team’s director of college scouting.
To say that the Ravens had a ton of success in the draft during that decade would be an understatement. From 2009-2018, that included franchise cornerstones being drafted into the organization.
That included the likes of Michael Oher, Lardarius Webb, Dennis Pitta, Jimmy Smith, Torrey Smith, Kelechi Osemele, C.J. Mosley, Za’Darius Smith, Ronnie Stanley, Matt Judon, Marlon Humphrey, Lamar Jackson, Orlando Brown Jr. and Mark Andrews. Talk about acing the annual NFL Draft.
In 2019, Hortiz was promoted to Ravens director of player personnel. That came after a brilliant 2018 NFL Draft in which Baltimore landed the aaforementioned Jackson, Brown Jr. and Andrews.
While drafting was not necessarily a major problem for the Chargers under Telesco, they did not enjoy this type of success. In short, Hortiz is one of the primary reasons that Baltimore has found itself as legitimate Super Bowl contenders for the better part of the past quarter century.
It also doesn’t hurt that he’s worked under respected front office heads in that of Pro Football Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome amd Eric DeCosta in Baltimore. Hortiz brings previous success and experience within the confines of a well-run organization with him to Los Angeles.